images

Starry sky with zodiacal light

by

L.Laveder/Novapix

Reference

a-pas10-00014

Date

2009-03-27

The faint cone of light extending from the horizon along the ecliptic is known as zodiacal light. It comes from the reflexion of the sun's light off tiny interplanetary dust particles in the plane of the solar system. One can see it here from the bottom right of the image to beyond the Pleiades cluster near the center of the image. Near the tree, an astrophotographer is watching the night sky. Gers, France.